TRUMP UNFILTERED: “I Don’t Know What the Hell Happened to Putin” — US President Blasts Russian Strikes, Slams Zelenskyy and Biden
In a fiery and unscripted exchange with reporters at Morristown Municipal Airport on Sunday, President Donald Trump sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for launching what Ukrainian officials have called the largest aerial assault of the war. “He’s killing a lot of people,” Trump said. “And I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin.” The President, who has long touted a working relationship with Putin admitted that the Russian leader has changed dramatically, saying, “I’ve known him a long time…but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all.”
The comments came in the wake of Russia’s massive drone and missile offensive against Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, with over 298 drones and 69 missiles fired in a single night. At least 12 people were reported dead, and dozens injured in what has been described as a brutal escalation. Trump, expressing visible frustration, noted that the attacks occurred in the midst of supposed peace negotiations. “He’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities… Something happened to this guy,” he repeated. Yet, the President did not limit his rebuke to Moscow. He took aim at both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former U.S. President Joe Biden, suggesting their leadership failures have allowed the war to spiral out of control.
Taking to his Truth Social platform later on Sunday, Trump doubled down. “Putin has gone absolutely CRAZY!” he wrote, before pivoting to blame Zelenskyy’s rhetoric for worsening tensions. “Everything out of his mouth causes problems,” Trump asserted. “I don’t like it, and it better stop.” The President reiterated his long-standing claim that the war would never have started under his watch. “This is Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s War, not ‘Trump’s,’” he declared. “I am only helping to put out the big and ugly fires that have been started through gross incompetence and hatred.” As Europe reels from the aftermath of the strikes, Trump’s raw and pointed words are certain to ignite debate over his role—and his potential return to the Oval Office.
